Bird Walks in Edmonds and Esperance, September 5, 2026
By Douglas Resnick
Common Raven by Mick Thompson
Our first stop was in Edmonds: Pine Ridge Park. We were surprised to be greeted by signs about no parking, but on closer inspection it turned out that the restriction would be in place the following Tuesday through Thursday, “For public safety during stormwater basin dredging.” So, we continued.
The main trails in Pine Ridge Park, taken together, form an “H,” oriented roughly north to south. We explored the main trails fully, and we added the side trail that winds upward to the cul-de-sac of 84th Ave. W, as well as the extension that goes through a tunnel under Main St., headed toward Yost Park. For the most part, we saw or heard what an Edmonds resident would consider neighborhood birds, such as Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, and Spotted Towhee. Less usual were the Common Raven we heard at the outset and the Townsend’s Warbler that flitted through the trees near Goodhope Pond. The pond itself, after a long, dry August, was a field of cattails. Two other birds of interest were the Osprey that flew over our heads, after we emerged from the tunnel, and a Cooper’s Hawk, which we initially spotted on a well-shaded limb near the trailhead at 83rd Ave. W.
Our second stop was in Esperance. Those who follow local news will know that Edmonds may request that it be allowed to annex Esperance in the near future, but the annexation has not happened yet, and Esperance Park is a county park. We walked northwest from its parking lot, following a diagonal path through the undeveloped portion of the park, with Chase Lake as our ultimate destination. While amongst the trees we spotted three Northern Flickers and a Brown Creeper. We continued westward along 222nd St. SW, walked through its cul-de-sac, then entered the undeveloped area south of Edmonds Church of God. The bushes and trees, some with fruit, attracted a number of House Finches. On the detention pond east of 84th Ave. W, we found a couple of Mallards and a couple of Wood Ducks. In the nearby trees, we found Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches. When we finally obtained a view of Chase Lake itself, we found three more Wood Ducks swimming below us; we were looking down on the lake from the pedestrian walkway that runs alongside the bridge. A Pileated Woodpecker flew into a tree on the far side of the lake, and we spotted two Band-tailed Pigeons high in a tree on the near side.
We followed a similar route back to our cars, pausing to enjoy the view of an Osprey flying above us with a fish in its claws and to take note of a White-crowned Sparrow that had joined some of the House Finches to forage on the ground. Several of us capped the morning with lunch at Portofino Restaurant & Bar in Edmonds.